You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks
by Tweeter
Summary: COMPLETE! My response to the end of Escaped. There are five chapters to this story, all of which will be posted before Tuesday's episode.
1. Chapter 1

You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks - by Tweeter 

_Disclaimer:_ The characters from NCIS belong to Bellisarius Products, CBS and Paramount. This story is for entertainment purposes only, no money is being made.

A/N: This is my reaction to the end of _Escaped._ I'm very happy that Gibbs is back at NCIS, I love Gibbs. I'm not happy with the way he returned, and I felt badly for Tony. I'm going to post this quickly, I'd like it to be up before the next episode. Hopefully the writers will address this issue in a way that won't be detrimental to Tony or Gibbs.

Thanks to kate98, who stepped in for an ailing Rinne and doing a wonderful, last-minute beta job.

_**Prologue**_

It was a joint operation; the DEA had gotten a tip that some sailors were running a meth lab, mixing the drug and smuggling it onto ships to sell. They suspected that the lab was just a small piece of a much larger drug ring. The DEA had plenty of agents who were good undercover operatives, but the agent assigned to the case had been killed and they needed someone who could blend in with the naval personnel, who could speak their language. Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo had gamely submitted to a buzz haircut and 'transferred in' from Camp Pendleton.

Petty Officer Daniel Burton and Seaman Jeremy Stacey had been cautious at first, but DiNozzo had charmed them in the way that only he could, gaining their trust. The result was DEA and NCIS agents heading for an isolated warehouse where members of the higher echelon of the drug cartel were meeting the local producers.

The convoy was about a mile away when everything went to hell in a handbasket. A loud explosion blew the windows out of the warehouse, balls of flame shooting out and up. Drivers floored their gas pedals and the vehicles rushed to the site, brakes squealing as they pulled up. Ziva and McGee jumped out of a car and stared in shock at the sight of the burning building, debris floating down.

**_Six Weeks Earlier_**

"You can't do this," Gibbs said firmly.

"What do you mean, I _can't_ do this?" Tony challenged. "You think I can't handle it? I've gone undercover before," he said, his voice low and hard. "I've infiltrated _the Mob_, I can sure handle some drugged up sailors."

"Under normal circumstances I know you can handle it," Gibbs replied, "but you've been reckless lately."

"Reckless?" Tony said, incredulously, "How?"

"You want examples, DiNozzo?" Gibbs moved forward, his face inches from the younger man's. "You nearly got your head blown off when we went to question Nicholson about his wife's disappearance; you almost drowned going after Wilson; and you almost fell off a building during the Freemont bust."

Tony's eyes narrowed. "I saved Julia Nicholson from her whacked-out father, I got Wilson, and I stopped McGee from going off the roof," he said through gritted teeth.

"Yes," Gibbs agreed, "but you almost died each time. Do you have a death wish, or something? Because if you do, you're dangerous to everyone on the team, not just yourself."

"I would never endanger the rest of the team," Tony hissed.

"Not intentionally," Gibbs said, not backing off, "but you put yourself at risk. Someone's going to try to help you, and that could get them killed. What's with you, DiNozzo? ."

Tony stepped back, then lowered his head, breathing heavily through his nose, trying to compose himself.

Gibbs waited, knowing that something was bothering his senior field agent. He was pretty sure he knew what it was, but needed Tony to voice it. The resentment and anger had been simmering in the younger man ever since Gibbs had returned. They had never talked about it – Gibbs wasn't one to air his feelings and he never encouraged his agents to come to him to vent. It was a long-standing habit, one that he knew he should change, but never had. Now, keeping things unspoken had turned his formerly gregarious, outgoing subordinate into a sullen, walking time-bomb. Gibbs was at a loss as to what to do. Ducky had told him to sit the younger man down and talk to him, but Gibbs was unable to bring himself to do it. Truthfully, he felt guilty about coming back the way he did, but he would never apologize.

_"Saying you're sorry is not a sign of weakness, Jethro," Ducky had chided. "That's one of your worst rules. You tossed your position to Anthony and walked out without a backward glance. He worked hard while you were gone and he did a good job, but you came back, dumped his belongings back onto his old desk, and acted as if it was temporary the whole time. You didn't acknowledge what he had accomplished at all. Did you expect him to sit back and become your loyal minion again?"_

Finally, Tony spoke. "You have no say in this," he said softly. "The Director has given me this assignment, and the last time I looked, she was your boss." He stared steadily at his boss.

The two stood there for a moment, eyes locked, neither one blinking. Finally, Gibbs shook his head slightly. "Okay," he said, "but if you do something stupid, I'll kill you myself."

Tony huffed and walked off. Gibbs stared at the retreating figure, eyes narrowed. Someone cleared their throat behind him.

"What?" he said irritably, turning to face the person.

"He's either going to get himself killed or he's going to quit," Ducky said. "You have got to set this right, Jethro, or are you purposely driving him away?"

Gibbs ran his hand over his face. "I'm not driving him away," he said angrily.

"You could have fooled me," scoffed the older man. "The problem is that the two of you are more alike than you care to admit. You're both stubborn mules."

"He's being reckless, Ducky," growled Gibbs. "That goes way beyond stubborn."

"He's trying to prove himself," Ducky argued. "He's had his legs kicked out from under him and he's trying to gain a measure of respect. God knows you don't show him any."

"That's out of line, Doctor Mallard." Gibbs glared at the ME.

"But true," Ducky said calmly. "I don't pretend to know what you've gone through – what you're going through again. – with the loss of your family, but you've come back from Mexico a different person. You've always been a hard taskmaster, but you've always shown Tony and the others when you approve. Now, you're being just plain mean, and it's killing Tony. The boy practically worshipped you, he tried so hard to get your approval. You were his mentor and he soaked up everything you had to teach him like a sponge."

"I never asked to be worshipped, Duck." Gibbs waved his hand dismissively.

"No, you didn't," agreed Ducky, "but you demanded respect, and he gave you that and more." Ducky paused and sighed sadly. "Talk to him, Jethro," he said softly, "before it's too late."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The next morning Tony strolled into the squad room with a buzz cut.

"Tony!" exclaimed Ziva. "What happened to all your hair?" She stood on her toes and ran her hand over his head. "It's so soft!"

"I'm joining the Navy," Tony said seriously.

"Yeah, right," McGee said skeptically.

"DiNozzo's going undercover for the DEA," Gibbs said, blowing past them, heading for his desk.

"Drugs?" McGee asked.

"Well, it _is_ the Drug Enforcement Agency, McGee," Gibbs said sarcastically.

"Right, Boss."

"And he has to impersonate a sailor to do this?" Ziva asked. She had followed Tony to his desk and was running her hand over his head, almost mesmerized.

"Are you finished petting DiNozzo, Officer David?" Gibbs asked pointedly.

"Mmmm, no," she replied distractedly. "It really is very soft."

"If we had the time," Tony began.

"Enough," interrupted Gibbs. Ziva pulled her hand back quickly and returned to her desk.

"The DEA has asked for our help in breaking up a major drug cartel," Gibbs said, nodding at Tony to continue. The younger agent pulled up some photos on the plasma.

"The Escobar cartel has a multi-billion dollar operation based in Columbia," Tony said. "They deal in everything: drugs, guns, people. They've recruited Navy personnel to run meth labs and use them to smuggle the drugs onto ships to sell onboard and at various ports."

"DEA needs someone to go undercover for them, someone who understands the operations on a ship and who can fit in. They had an agent go through training, but he was killed and they needed someone to go in quickly," Gibbs continued.

"How was he killed?" Ziva asked.

"He was in an accident," Tony replied. "It wasn't related to the case. "

"Are you sure?" Ziva looked unconvinced. "I know how Gibbs feels about coincidences."

"We're not sure," Gibbs said, grimly, "but the DEA believes it was an accident, and our director agrees. She recommended DiNozzo for the job. He'll pose as a petty officer transferring in from Camp Pendleton."

"Wait a minute," Tony stared at Gibbs for a moment. "Why is your hair so short?"

"I'm going under too," Gibbs replied shortly.

"Why, to keep an eye on me?" Tony's voice rose slightly.

"There are two angles to follow on this case, DiNozzo," Gibbs said calmly. "I'm going to hit the officers, you're going for the guys doing the grunt work."

"Since when?"

"Since now. You got a problem with that?" Tony glared at the older agent, started to say something, then opted to keep his mouth shut.

"Good, that's settled. You'll report to Captain O'Hara on the USS Monterey immediately. He and his XO, Lieutenant Commander Hathaway, will be the only ones who'll know who you are. I'll report to Captain Deaver at the Norfolk Naval Station and get myself established in the Port Operations Department."

"What's your cover going to be?" McGee asked.

"I'll transfer in from a unit just coming back from Iraq. I'll be a Warrant Officer, busted down from Chief Warrant Officer for fighting with another officer. The story will be because of my exemplary combat duty they busted me down in rank instead of kicking me out with a dishonorable discharge. I'll have enough resentment toward the Navy to make me seem a likely candidate to fall in with these guys.," Gibbs explained.

"What's the objective of this operation?" Ziva asked.

"The goal is to set up a meeting with some of the higher-ups in the drug cartel and bring them down," Tony said, still glaring at Gibbs, who ignored the vicious stare.

"That could take awhile," Ziva said doubtfully.

"It'll take as long as it takes," Gibbs replied. "DiNozzo, get going."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Lieutenant Harrison Wilson and Lieutenant Arthur Delaney were career soldiers, sons of Navy officers following in their family tradition. Both men had joined the service as a matter of obligation, neither felt the loyalty and pride that their fathers and grandfathers had. It didn't take long for the two men to find each other, two resentful scions of wealthy families looking for an easy way to earn extra money. When the two men were approached by the Columbian drug cartel, they eagerly accepted their proposition and set up a drug distribution operation. Both men worked in the Port Operations department at the Norfolk Naval Station, giving them access to the various vessels that docked in Norfolk. Together, they recruited young, naïve men who needed to send money home to their families.

Gibbs started working in the Port Operations Department as Warrant Officer Lee Franklin. He and Lieutenant Wilson hit it off immediately. Soon the two men were drinking together after work, talking about politics, women and the lousy way the government treated them. Wilson introduced Gibbs to his friend Delaney, and after a few weeks the two men brought Gibbs into their confidence.

DiNozzo had an easy time gaining the confidence of Petty Officer Burton and Seaman Stacey. The two young men were naïve and fun-loving, hitting it off with Tony immediately.

The undercover operation had been going smoothly for weeks before Gibbs and Tony crossed paths. Tony spent most of his spare time at the warehouse they used to produce the meth-amphetamine. Burton and Stacey had recruited some local gang members to do the mixing and sent Tony there periodically to oversee the production. There had been talk about a meeting with a representative of the cartel, so Gibbs and Tony continued to maintain their covers, waiting for the right moment to bring the operation down.

The Monterey was about to head out to patrol the waters off Yemen. Burton and Delaney were going to a meet to get orders from their bosses, bringing Tony along with them. The three drove to Newport News where they met with Lieutenants Wilson and Delaney and their friend, WO Franklin. Wilson informed the group that he had set up a meeting with two members of the Escobar cartel at the warehouse the next day.

It was time to close down the operation. Gibbs got word to his contact with the time and location of the meeting. Unfortunately, there was a change in plans, and the meeting was moved up by two hours.

Shortly after midnight, they gathered in the warehouse. Esteban Montoya and Carlos Rodriguez were trusted associates of Emilio Escobar, the ruthless leader of the cartel. The two came to the United States to deliver instructions from their boss and to bring a supply of cocaine and heroin that was to be distributed by the dealers recruited by Wilson and Delaney, along with the meth that they had produced.

Gibbs didn't have an opportunity to talk to DiNozzo privately, and he hoped that the younger agent knew that they had to stretch the meeting out, delaying the departure of the men until the other agents could arrive on the scene. The younger agent appeared relaxed, joking with his companions and laughing over some incident at the mess hall the night before.

One of Montoya's bodyguards kept staring at Gibbs. DiNozzo raised his eyebrow questioningly at Gibbs, who shrugged slightly. Suddenly the barrels of three automatic weapons were pointed at the older agent.

"Whoa!" Gibbs said, raising his hands in the air. "What's going on?"

"Yeah," Delaney said, "what's this all about?"

"You two have been careless," spat Montoya. "This man is Federal Agent. He's one of the agents who arrested Tomas' father ten years ago."

"That's crazy," Gibbs replied, "I was in Rwanda ten years ago, providing support for humanitarian relief."

"You lie," hissed Tomas. "I saw you and your men arrest my father and his friends. You came into our house and took them away."

"How old were you ten years ago?" Tony asked.

"Old enough to remember his face," snarled Tomas. Gibbs was grabbed and thrown to the ground, his hands and feet were tied.

"Take care of this," Rodriguez said to Delaney. The lieutenant signaled to Burton, who came over and helped lift the bound agent. They carried Gibbs to their car and threw him into the trunk.

Tony watched helplessly, unable to do anything to help the other agent without getting himself and his boss killed and blowing the entire operation. His mind raced wildly as the car drove off. He knew he had to keep the meeting going until the original time they had given their contact, but he also knew he had to get himself out of there somehow to help Gibbs before the two men killed him.

Jeremy Stacey was fidgeting nervously. He was the youngest person in the group, the most inexperienced. The fact that there was an undercover Federal Agent with them shook him up. Nervously, he put a cigarette in his mouth. He pulled out his lighter…

"Hey, don't do that!" yelled Tony.

Stacey looked up as he flicked the wheel of the lighter and the whole world turned bright.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

His head hurt and he was hot, really hot. He took a deep breath and immediately started coughing. He could smell the acrid smoke, hear the crackling of the flames. Oh, no – he was in Hell. How had that happened? He wasn't _that_ bad, was he? Sure, he played it free and easy with the women, but he never let any of them believe that he was looking for something permanent. He took them to dinner, or out dancing, and he made sure they were satisfied, more than once. He was a little self-centered and immature, but surely that wasn't damning, was it? Wait a minute, if he was in Hell, then that meant he was dead. If he was dead, that meant he'd be lying in a coffin. If he was lying in a coffin, that meant the last time anyone would see him he would have a buzz-cut. Their last vision of him would be with that God-awful buzz cut. He wondered if Ziva would pet him one last time.

Opening his eyes slowly, Tony looked around him. He was still in the warehouse, not the pits of Hell, but if he didn't get out of there soon he'd end up in some afterlife. Carefully testing his arms and legs he quickly discovered that he was pinned down. A heavy beam had fallen on him, pinning his torso to the floor. He was lucky that it had fallen with other debris, shielding him from the full weight of the wooden structure, but still effectively blocking him from moving more than a few inches. At least the wood wasn't on fire… yet. Coughing in the thickening smoke he felt a sharp pain in his chest, probably a cracked or broken rib, maybe several.

"Just great," he muttered.

"Hey," he yelled, "is anyone out there? Help! I'm trapped!" He listened for a moment, but didn't hear anything.

"Okay, Anthony," he said to himself, "looks like you're going to have to get yourself out of this." Briefly he wondered if Gibbs was still alive, but he shook his head to clear his mind of those thoughts. He had to help himself before he could do anything to help Gibbs, worrying about him wasn't going to do anybody any good. He shifted his weight, careful to not disturb the debris, maneuvering himself into position, allowing him space to push. Carefully, he reached up and pulled on a pipe, testing its strength and resistance, relieved when it didn't budge.

"All right, let's do this," he said, taking a deep breath and grabbing the pipe firmly. Placing the soles of his feet against the wooden beam, he pushed with all his strength, pulling on the pipe at the same time and ignoring the sharp pains in his chest. When he felt the beam give a few inches, he pulled hard, dragging himself out from under the beam which fell heavily when he stopped pushing against it.

Tony took a moment to catch his breath, but found that the smoke made that difficult. Holding his left arm against his chest to support the injured ribs, he levered himself up with his other arm, pausing when the blood rushing from his head caused the room to spin. He could hear yelling outside the warehouse and started picking his way through the debris to the exit, shielding his face from the flames that were starting to get out of control.

A low moan came from somewhere to his right. Looking over, Tony could see Seaman Stacey lying on the ground, his clothing blackened by the flash explosion. Tony stumbled over to the young man.

"Come on, Stacey," he said, coughing, "we have to get out of here." Tony pulled the injured man up and started dragging him toward the exit.

"Tony!" Ziva's voice tore through the smoke like a knife. She and McGee ran to the two men, McGee grabbed the limp body of Seaman Stacey and helped Tony drag the injured man to safety.

"What happened?" DEA Special Agent Markham ran up to the small group.

Tony slumped to the ground, coughing, activity swirling around him as agents rushed around and the fire department arrived.

"Stacey started to light a cigarette," he said, wheezing. "I tried to stop him, but it was too late. Did anyone else make it out?"

Markham replied, "It looks like Montoya and Ramirez made it with minor injuries. Wilson got hit by falling debris, he's dead."

"Where's Gibbs?" McGee asked.

"His cover got blown," Tony replied, standing up. He started to sway and grabbed the younger agent for support. "We've got to put a BOLO on Delaney's car. He and Burton took Gibbs somewhere to get rid of him."

"Where would they take him?" Ziva asked.

"They've been using office space in a strip mall over in Newport News," Tony replied. "We need to get there, I don't know how far ahead of us they are."

"You need to get to a hospital, Tony," McGee said, his expression concerned.

Tony shook his head. "No, we have to get to Gibbs before they kill him. He may already be dead."

"I'll drive," Ziva said, getting into the driver's seat. Tony got into the passenger side while McGee jumped into the back. The sedan tore off, followed closely by the DEA vehicles.

NCISNCISNCISNCIS

Gibbs struggled against the ropes binding his hands and legs, but the knots were strong and wouldn't budge. He couldn't tell where they were going, but they were no longer on the poorly paved roads that led to the warehouse.

He cursed his luck at having his cover blown and hoped DiNozzo wouldn't do something stupid to rescue him. He didn't think he could take the guilt and pain if the younger agent was injured or killed trying to get him out of trouble. Gibbs knew that no matter how angry Tony was, he would do everything he could to help his boss. His loyalty to his teammates was one of the characteristics that made Tony his best agent. He should have told him that. But no, he had to insist on living up to the second b of his name. Tony deserved better than the headslaps and digs. Ducky was right, he hadn't given Tony the respect he had earned and now there might never be an opportunity to set things straight.

"Snap out of it," Gibbs muttered to himself. "You have to be ready to move when DiNozzo gets here." The irony of his earlier accusation of Tony putting his teammates in danger wasn't lost on him. There was no way any of his agents were going to get hurt helping him out of this mess, not as long as he was breathing and conscious

The car pulled into an alley behind the small office the men were using as a drop-off point for money and supplies. Burton opened the trunk while Delaney held a gun, ready to shoot Gibbs if he caused any trouble. The young sailor dragged the agent out of the trunk and flung him over his shoulder, carrying him into the store.

"This is bad," Burton said, his voice panicked. "Now what are we going to do? You think the others are dead?" He threw Gibbs to the floor.

Gibbs grunted as he hit the ground; his head bounced off the floor causing him to see stars.

"Don't know, but it's gotta be on the tv news," Delaney said, going to the small television on the desk and turning it on. "We'll see how bad the explosion was."

"Explosion?" Gibbs said, his heart skipping a beat.

Burton was pacing the room, "We heard on the radio that there was an explosion at a warehouse, our warehouse. Probably the fumes, those chemicals are dangerous."

Gibbs lay back and closed his eyes. Explosion. Tony could be dead. Emotions flooded Gibbs' mind: guilt, anger, sadness. He had treated his best agent like dirt, ignoring the respect and admiration the younger man had shown him, all because he was confused and conflicted. Tony had always been so easygoing, had taken the reprimands and lack of praise in stride, knowing that his boss believed in him. Things might have been the same if Gibbs hadn't come back in such an abrupt manner, taking the team back as if Tony was never meant to lead them. He had given no notice, no explanation, he had just shown up in the office and reclaimed his desk as if nothing had happened.

Delaney had tuned into to a local station that had a helicopter circling the site of the warehouse fire. The building was engulfed in flames, at least five fire engines were at the scene.

"Shit," breathed Burton.

"We have to get back to our stations," Delaney said. "No one knows we're gone, we've got to pretend we don't know anything."

"What about him?" Burton waved at Gibbs.

"We'll kill him, dump his body in the Potomac." Delaney replied.

"You gonna kill a Federal Agent?" Gibbs asked calmly, still working at the ropes around his wrists. "They know where I've been," he continued, "they know I've been watching you and Wilson. When I disappear you'll be the first ones they'll come to."

Burton started pacing faster. "We have to run," he said nervously. "We have to get the hell out of the country, go someplace they can't extradite us."

"Yeah," agreed Delaney, "you're right, we can't stick around, but we can't leave any loose ends either." He raised his gun and shot Burton in the chest twice.

"He was always a liability," Delaney said to Gibbs. "It'll look like he was the one who killed you." Delaney pointed the gun at Gibbs' head. "That way, even if I do get caught, I won't get charged with your murder."

Gibbs stared steadily at the man, prepared to die.

Delaney swung around as the door burst open. Before he could shoot, he was tackled, his gun going off and shattering a lamp.

The room was immediately swarming with DEA and NCIS agents. Delaney was struggling on the floor, a very angry, very tired DiNozzo pinning him down. Special Agent Markham relieved Tony of his charge, handcuffing the lieutenant, while McGee cut the ropes off Gibbs' wrists and ankles.

"About time, DiNozzo," growled Gibbs.

"You're welcome, Gibbs," Tony replied, a tired smile gracing his face, just before he passed out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Tony's head was killing him. He was afraid to open his eyes, the smells that surroundeded him, told him he was in the hospital. He knew he was going to get yelled at for something, or Gibbs was going to give him that blank stare that was worse than yelling. He hadn't even done anything wrong, Gibbs was the one who got into trouble.

"I know you're awake, DiNozzo."

Speak of the devil. Tony cracked one eye and squinted up at the senior agent. "Hey," he croaked.

Gibbs stared at him, making Tony shift nervously.

"You did good," Gibbs said, smiling softly.

"What?" Tony tried to sit up, pulling the oxygen off. Gibbs reached over and gently replaced the nasal canula.

"I said," Gibbs replied, "you did good. You kept your cool, you saved one of the perps, and you saved my life."

Tony stared at him for a moment. "Who are you? Did you lose your memory again?"

Gibbs snorted, "I'm only going to say this once, Tony," he said. "I'm sorry for the way I came back. I never meant to make you feel you weren't good enough to lead the team and I didn't mean to make you feel that it was never yours to begin with. I could have handled things better, and I should have made you see that before now."

"Never say you're sorry," Tony began automatically.

"No," interrupted Gibbs, "sometimes you have to apologize. I treated you badly, you didn't deserve that, and I'm sorry."

"Wow, I don't know what to say," Tony said softly.

"I've been confused and angry," Gibbs said, "and I took it out on you. I don't know, maybe because you've always been able to take what I dished out." Gibbs scratched the back of his head. "But it wasn't right and you shouldn't have to put up with that. You're too good an agent for that, too good a man."

Tony's eyes widened in surprise. He cleared his throat nervously, "You've gone through some pretty rough times," he said. "I can't imagine what it's like to lose what you've lost, except," he paused, "I did kind of feel like I'd lost someone I looked up to, respected. That was hard."

"I don't know if I deserve that respect anymore," Gibbs replied. "But I hope I can earn it again. You deserve your own team, Tony, you've earned it. I wouldn't be surprised if the Director offers one to you. Hell, even if she doesn't, I wouldn't blame you if you asked for a transfer. But I'd like you to stay on my team, as my Senior Field Agent. There's no one I trust more to have my back. If I made you feel any other way, I was wrong."

"I still feel like I can learn from you," Tony said. "I know I'll have to move up and on someday, but I can't think of anyone I'd rather work for."

"Work with," corrected Gibbs. "You've shown you can lead a team, you're the one I rely on when things need to get done."

Tony grinned, "So, I'm your go-to guy?"

Gibbs grinned, "Yeah, DiNozzo, you're my go-to guy." He paused, then said softly, "We good?"

Tony nodded, "We're good, Boss."

Gibbs nodded curtly. "Okay. Get some rest."

"On it."

Gibbs left the hospital room, smiling to himself. Tony had called him Boss.

_**FIN**_

**_A/N: I hope you enjoyed this story. It's a bit rushed, but I needed to finish and post it before the next new episode. Thank you for reading._**


End file.
